THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSION

The following comes from one of my favorite books by John Maxwell (and that's really saying something).  It's titled "Talent Is Never Enough."  It's one book that I think is an absolute must read for all young people -- not just athletes. 

I was thumbing through my outlined portions. I use a red pen to make notations on relevant passages for myself and my team.  I then have those notes typed and organized for use.  My friend Renee' Braud would always joke when a new Maxwell book came out -- "better break out the red pens."

This particular passage resonated with me this morning:

What carries people to the top?  What makes them take risks, go the extra mike and do whatever it takes to achieve their goals?  It isn't talent.  It's passion.  Passion is more important than a plan.  Passion creates fire.  It provides fuel.  I have yet to meet a passionate person who lacked energy.  As long as the passion is there, it doesn't matter if they fail.  It doesn't matter how many times they fall down.  It doesn't matter if others are against them or if people say they cannot succeed.  They keep going and make the most of whatever talent they possess.  They talent-plus people and do not stop until they succeed.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ADVANCED PLANNING

The following comes from a wonderful book titled “Leadership Gold,” written by John Maxwell.  It is an amazing story about preparation — about the process.  It’s about understanding you can’t fake the harvest.  You can't reap your crops in the fall if you haven’t paid the price of managing your farm the year around.  Here’s Maxwell’s story:

As a small private jet approached the runway, we were celebrating the success of the week. Then, in a moment, everything changed. The plane was hit by wind shear and dropped straight down to the runway, the wheels hitting out of balance. All conversation stopped and our eyes widened as we realized we were in danger. The pilot, without hesitation, pushed the throttle and launched the plane back into the air. In a split second we went from celebration to sober reflection. We all realized that could have been it! We sat quietly as the plane circled the airfield, and a few minutes later we landed safely.

We all applauded and now began to relax and breathe. As we got off the plane, we thanked the captain for keeping us safe. I said to him, “That was a close call. You responded so quickly to the crisis. When did you make the decision to put the plane back into the air?”

His reply amazed me: “Fifteen years ago.”

He went on to explain how as a young pilot in training, he decided in advance what decision he would make for every possible air problem. “The choice was made long before the crisis,” he said.

HOW DO YOU ANALYZE FAILURE?

Today I enjoyed talking leadership with Coach Marsha Frese of UMKC today and one of the things we were talking about were books that were good for coaches and players.  One we talked about was "Go For Gold" by John Maxwell.  I love the book because its laid out with daily readings for leaders to take in and apply.  Here is quick example:

The next time you experience a failure, think about why you failed instead of who was at fault. Analyze any failure:

·         What lessons have I learned?

·         Am I grateful for this experience?

·         How can I turn the failure into success?

·         Practically speaking, where do I go from here?

·         Who else has failed in this way before, and how can that person help me?

·         How can my experience help others someday to keep from failing?

·         Did I fail because of another person, because of my situation, or because of myself?

·         Did I actually fail, or did I fall short of an unrealistically high standard?

·         Where did I succeed as well as fail?

THE BEAR ON CREATING "ONE HEARBEAT" WITH YOUR TEAM

The following comes from "Developing the Leaders Around You," by John Maxwell:

Coach Bear Bryant expressed this same sentiment when her said: “I’m just a plowhead from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together—how to lift some men up, how to calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together as a team. There’s always just three things I say: ‘If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, they did it.’ That’s all it takes to get people to win.”

JOHN MAXWELL WITH THOUGHTS ON ENTHUSIASM

Great thoughts on enthusiasm from John Maxwell via his book "The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player."

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“People can succeed at almost anything for which they have enthusiasm.”

-Charles Schwab

1. Take Responsibility for Their Own Enthusiasm. Successful people understand that attitude is a choice—and that includes enthusiasm. People who wait for external forces to help them spark their enthusiasm are at other people’s mercy all the time. They are likely to run hot or cold based on what’s going on around them at any given moment. However, positive people are positive because they choose to be. If you want to be positive, upbeat, and passionate, you need to take responsibility for being that way.

2. You cannot win if you do not begin.

3. Spend Time with Other Enthusiastic People. Denis Waitley, says, “Enthusiasm is contagious. It’s difficult to remain neutral or indifferent in the presence of a positive thinker.”

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates remarked, "What I do best is share my enthusiasm."

Be willing to do more. One way to demonstrate enthusiasm with your teammates is to go the extra mile with others. This week when someone asks you to do something, do what’s required and then some. Then quietly observe its impact on the team’s atmosphere.

Elbert Hubbard said, “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”

UTILIZING MISTAKES AND FAILURE TO MOVE TOWARDS SUCCESS

One of the things that I think is essential to an off-season is taking a detailed look back.  And part of that look is studying your mistakes and your failures.  By the way, this is the same approach I take after a Final Four season or a Conference Championship campaign when it might be human nature to sit back, rest and past yourself on the back.  The reminder is always good is the enemy of great.  The primary way to grow is by studying failure.  Bob Knight has said "To win a game, you must first understand what goes into losing."

Mistakes and failures are some of our greatest teachers if we indeed take the time to learn from them.  Elbert Hubbard said, "A failure is a man who blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience."

The players and coaches who lose out are the ones who don't examine their shortcomings or utilize excuses as the reason for their setbacks.

In his book, "Failing Forward," John Maxwell shares a story he got from working artists David Bayles and Ted Orland as a parable on the benefit of failure:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups.  All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality.  His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pounds of pots rated an "A," forty pounds a "B," and so on.  Those being graded on "quality," however, needed to produce only one pot -- albeit a perfect one -- to get an "A."  Well, come grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of the highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity.  It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles or work -- and learning from their mistakes -- the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."

A great story from Maxwell's book.  To get...to gain...one must do.  It is in the action, the process, that we move closer towards our ideal.

OUR VIEW OF FAILURE CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS

As I like to do, I took time to read my timely passage from "The Maxwell Daily Reader" written by John Maxwell.  Each calendar day there is a message and it is always amazing how it fits in with something going on in my life. Today's, March 11, spoke about how we view failure and how our thought process in this regard goes a long way towards success.  To make his point, Maxwell used one of my favorites, Tony Gwynn as example:

On August 6, 1999, a major-league baseball player stepped up to home plate in Montreal and made another out -- the 5,113th of his professional career.  That's a lot of trips to the batter's box without a hit!  If a player made all of those outs consecutively, and he average four at bats per game, he would play eight seasons (1,278 game straight) without ever reaching first base!

Was the player discourage that night? No.  You see, earlier in the same game, in his first plate appearance, that player had reached a milestone that only twenty-one other people in the history of baseball have every achieved.  He had made his 3,000th hit.  That player was Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres.

During that game, Tony got on base with hits four times in five tries.  But that's not the norm for him.  Usually he fails to get a hit two times out of every three attempts.  Those results may not sound very encouraging, but if you know baseball, you recognize that Tony's ability to succeed consistently only one time in three tries has made him the great hitter of his generation.  And Tony recognized that to get his hits, he has to make a lot of outs.

One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures.  Instead, they have need to keep the bigger picture in mind.  Someone like Tony Gwynn doesn't look at an out that he makes and think of failure.  He sees it within the context of the bigger picture.  His perspective leads to perseverance. His perseverance brings longevity.  And his longevity gives him opportunity for success.

ALWAYS DO MORE THAN IS REQUIRED OF YOU

I came across this blog post today from John Maxwell and loved it.  It was titled "Why You Should Do More Than Expected."  The title grabbed me immediately.  One of my favorite quotes that I share often, with players, coaches, managers, and anyone else on our team comes from General George S. Patton, Jr. that simply says:

"Always do more than is required of you."

It's a simplistic yet critical part to success.  It has nothing to do with intelligence or talent but is linked to attitude and commitment.  Many people have forged ahead in life by simply doing more than is required.

Here is a part of Mr. Maxwell's post though I recommend you read it all here.

Here are three “don’ts” and one “do” if you want to consistently exceed expectations:

Don't rely on your reputation.
I think that when we’re successful, our greatest temptation is to enjoy living on the past. We’ve gained a reputation for doing great things, and it’s really easy to “rest on our laurels,” so to speak. We forget how we got our reputation and start putting our energy into guarding it, instead of growing it anew. But we got our reputation by producing, and that’s how we need to build on it. Don’t just protect your reputation for good work. Do better work.

Don't rely on your relationships.

I’ve noticed that this is a real problem for a lot of people. For whatever reason, when they don’t meet or exceed expectations, their response is to play the “relationship card.” They say, “I know I didn’t do what I needed to do, but after all, we’re friends.”

Relationships are definitely important in life and can carry us through a lot of hard times. But this kind of thing is an abuse of a relationship, and it will suffer as a result. When you rely on a relationship instead of your efforts, you not only don’t exceed expectations, you don’t meet them either.

Don’t expect unearned respect.

We should never try to demand respect. I believe that respect must be earned daily. And the only way to do that is to continually produce and do more than is expected. I believe that once we understand that respect is not a given, we work harder and start each day with a clean slate. We don’t get to demand respect today because of what we achieved yesterday. Every day needs a fresh commitment to exceeding expectations.

Do ask questions, give your best, and ask questions again.

When I have a speaking engagement coming up, I ask a number of important questions. I want to know who will be there. What does the leader want his or her people to get out of it? How is morale? The answers to these questions help me to tailor my message so that it has the highest impact. It helps me discover what the expectations are, so I know how high to aim to exceed them.

GUIDELINES FOR GOAL SETTING

Some great guidelines for goal setting via John Maxwell from his book "Be All You Can Be."

To help you understand the importance of goals and to facilitate your own goal-setting, let me give you six important guidelines.

§  Your goal must include others. No goal is worthwhile that is only for yourself. Set a goal big enough to include and help other people.

§  Your goal must be worthwhile. There is no such thing as a successful frivolous goal.

§  Your goal must be clean. If you don’t know where you are headed, a map will be of no use.

§  Your goal must be measurable. You need a way to see if you are making any progress toward the goal.

§  Your goal must be expandable. Don’t set your goals in concrete. If your goal is not expandable, it’s expendable.

§  Your goals must be filled with conviction. Conviction is the unshaken confidence that the goal is worthwhile. It’s the fuel that pushes us to achieve.

10 THINGS TALENTED PEOPLE DO TO MAXIMIZE SUCCESS

One of the absolute books I've read, and one that we periodically have our team's read is "Talent Is Never Enough," by John Maxwell.  Talent flows everywhere but successful people take talent and combine it with a work ethic and prioritized structure for maximum results.  Here is a great list I read from BusinessInsider.com in a column written by Heather Huhman. 

Here are 10 things people possessing great talent always do:

1. They talk about their long-term goals.
Talented candidates aren't afraid of their future. In fact, they're excited about their career and what's in store.

Ask candidates about their long-term goals during a job interview. Those with great talent will talk about their prospective future with the company and what they plan to accomplish if hired.

2. They're resourceful and prepared for anything.
Great talent is prepared for any situation. The ability to think and act on the spot is a quality few people have.

People with top-notch talent know their resume inside and out, have their portfolio ready and can answer interview questions without stumbling over their thoughts.

3. They display confidence in any situation.
There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance when identifying top talent. Confident individuals, however, can handle any situation and accept the reality that it's OK to be wrong.

During the interview, ask candidates about their weaknesses. Look for a candidate who can confidently speak about weaknesses and explain the lessons they have learned.

4. They market their versatility.
Individuals who are truly talented possess a wide range of skills and can transfer them to different roles and succeed.

Ask candidates about a time when they had to try something new or apply their skills in an unusual situation. A good candidate will be able to share an experience or two.

5. They prioritize results.
Talented people care about results. They have a burning passion to accomplish their goals, both in their personal life or career.

Those who possess top talent will talk about what they want to accomplish once hired without the interviewer having to ask.

6. They ask smart questions.
Bright individuals are curious people. Because of this, they'll ask questions to learn more about an organization and how it functions.

During the interview, a talented candidate will ask questions about what he or she is expected to accomplish if hired. They will inquire about the attributes of the top performers at the company and about what it takes to drive results.

7. They're extremely flexible.
Many organizations continuously update their goals and implement new strategies. Top talent can adjust to such changes without becoming derailed from success.

Ask candidates about a time when they had to quickly adapt to a new situation and what happened.

Risk taking is involved at any business. Talented people aren't afraid of pushing the envelope to discover new ideas.

Ask candidates about a time where they had to take a risk. Their response should provide enough insight about whether they can take big enough risks.

9. They bring passion to the position and organization.
This might seem like a cliché, but passion is a quality that sets apart those with great talent from lackluster candidates.

When a talented person is passionate about what he or she does, that individual is not afraid to tell a prospective employer. In fact, when someone is truly passionate, a hiring manager can see it in the individual's personality and previous experience.

10. They communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
Strong communicators have the ability to take organizations to the next level.

When speaking to candidates over the phone or in person or exchanging emails, pay close attention to how they communicate. This gives employers a better indication of their communication skills.

You can read the entire article here.

LONG-TERM PREPARATION

I absolutely love this story from "Leadership Gold" by John Maxwell.  It speaks to the importance of preparation.  Not just preparation of studying for an exam the night before or prep work the week leading up to a game.  But the years of training -- the lifetime of grind -- all to prepare for a single moment in which you may or may not know when it arrives.  Here is the story shared by Maxwell:

As a small private jet approached the runway, we were celebrating the success of the week. Then, in a moment, everything changed. The plane was hit by a wind shear and dropped straight down to the runway, the wheels hitting out of balance. All conversation stopped and our eyes widened as we realized we were in danger. The pilot, without hesitation, pushed the throttle and launched the plane back into the air. In a split second we went from celebration to sober reflection. We all realized that could have been it! We sat quietly as the plane circled the airfield, and a few minutes later we landed safely.

We all applauded and now began to relax and breathe. As we got off the plane, we thanked the captain for keeping us safe. I said to him, “That was a close call. You responded so quickly to the crisis. When did you make the decision to put the plane back into the air?”

His reply amazed me: “Fifteen years ago.”

He went on to explain how as a young pilot in training, he decided in advance what decision he would make for every possible air problem. “The choice was made long before the crisis,” he said.

JOHN MAXWELL'S DAILY DOZEN

The following comes from "Be All You Can Be," by John Maxwell:

Examine your life at the moment. The first step toward making your dream come true is to find out where you are right now. That takes close scrutiny.

Exchange all of your little options for one big dream. Every dream has its price.

Expose yourself to successful people. It is true that birds of a feather flock together. Express your belief in your dream. Write it down or talk about it frequently.

Expect opposition to your dream. Every nitpicker who doesn’t have a dream will oppose yours. Regretfully, there are ten nitpickers for every person with a dream. You will never rid yourself of them. As long as you understand that, you won’t let them hinder you. Remember that those who have no dream cannot see yours, so to them it is impossible. You can’t have what you can’t see.

Exercise all of your effort, all of your energy, toward the dream. It’s worth it. Pay that price.

Extract every positive principle that you can from life. Constantly be on the lookout for anything that will enhance that dream.

Exclude negative thinkers as close friends. You’re going to have some friends who are negative thinkers, and no doubt some are members of your family. But if the negative thinking drags you down, which it will, you don’t need to spend much time with them. There are people in my family and in my wife’s family who are spirit-dampeners. We have chosen, for the sake of our kids as well as ourselves, not to spend a lot of time with them. You may need to put some distance between yourself and your negative thinking friends.

Exceed normal expectations to make your dream come true. If you’re to reach your dream, you’ll have to do that which is beyond the normal. Dreams are not achieved by average energy.

Exhibit an attitude that is confident. I believe that if you are outwardly confident, you will become more confident inwardly. The way we act outwardly affects what we are inwardly.

Explore every possible avenue to reach your dream. Don’t let any detour or dead-end street stop you on your way to a dream God has given you. There are more routes up a mountain than just the east side. Go around to the south side. See what else you can do.

Extend a helping hand to someone who had a similar dream, and both of you will climb together. Mountain climbing is not an individual sport. It’s a team sport. One holds the line for the other. As we hold the lines for others, we can all make it to the top, and our dreams can come true.

 

HOW ARE YOU BUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY

I believe a lot of people would be fascinated to sit in on our staff meetings here at Texas A&M.  The novice probably believes that we spend a great deal of time talking about X & O's -- and nothing could be further from the truth.  The subject of basketball itself is towards the bottom of the list.

Our #1 subject? Our student-athletes -- their academics, their health, their attitudes.  Programs of excellence don't deal in things, they deal in people.  There is not a day that goes by that we don't meet as a staff or in pairs to talk about our student-athletes and their needs.

Subject #2 is most often recruiting.  Why?  Because it deals with us bringing in new family members.  Again, many would think we would talk entirely about skills but we spend a great deal of time talking about attitude, personality, and the other intangibles.

Subject #3 is about what we are doing to develop our team chemistry.  What are we doing as a team so we can continue to learn and grow together. Yesterday in our staff meeting, this was a major subject.  We looked at our team calendar and discussed ways and dates of building our community.

It's why I loved this passage today from "The Maxwell Daily Reader" by John Maxwell:

September 20: DO THINGS TOGETHER AS A TEAM

I once read the statement, "Even when you're played the game of your life, it's the feeling of teamwork that you'll remember.  You'll forget the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you'll never forget your teammates."  That is describing the community that develops among teammates who spend time doing things together.

The only to develop community and cohesiveness among your teammates is to get them together, not just in a professional setting but in personal ones as well.  There are lots of ways to get yourself connected with your teammates, and to connect them with on another...the where and when are not as important as the fact that team members share common experiences.

4-POINT RESPONSE TO PROBLEMS

The following comes from "Be All You Can Be" by John Maxwell.

I want to give you a concise four-point outline for responding to problems:

o   Anticipate them. Don’t let problems take you by surprise

o   List them. Write down all the problems you’re aware of

o   Address them. Examine each problem thoroughly and think of a solution

o   Outsmart them. If plan A doesn’t work, be ready with plan B.

THE LEADER'S SELF-EVALUATION

Self-evaluation is an important part of growth.  It's really important that we take the time to take a look at ourselves and ask critical questions so we can improve.  So many of us in this profession do that as teaches and coaches but do we do it as leaders?  I came across the following list from leadership guru John Maxwell:

Questions I Ask Myself as a Leader

1) Am I Investing in Myself?

This question probes your commitment to personal growth. An empty glass won't refresh anyone. Before you can influence others, you need to contain something worth offering to others.

Don't be content to stockpile knowledge. Once you've ascertained a new insight or developed a skill, pass on what you've discovered. A learner builds reservoir of learning, whereas a leader becomes a river of learning for others.

2) Am I Genuinely Interested In Others?

This question delves into motives. As J.P. Morgan cynically observed, "A man always has two reasons for doing anything - a good reason and the real reason." Since leaders are inclined to figure out situations before anyone else, they have capacity to take advantage of others. For this reason, it's essential to regularly question your motives. There's a fine line between manipulation and motivation. The former moves people for personal benefit, while the latter moves people for mutual gain.

3) Am I Doing What I Love and Loving What I Do?

This question determines passion. You will never find your passion doing work you despise. If you go to work only to fulfill processes and functions then you're in jeopardy of losing your humanity and turning into a machine. "Find your passion and follow it," is all the career advice you'll ever need. Passion gives you the edge by endowing you with more energy than others have.

4) Am I Taking Others to a Higher Level?

This question has to do with mission. Regardless of your industry, as a leader, you're in the people development business. Fulfilling your mission depends upon lifting the performance of those you lead. As Zig Ziglar says, "You can get everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." By adding value to those you lead, you're investing in men and women with the potential to multiply your influence exponentially.

5) Am I Taking Care of Today?

How you treat today speaks volumes about your likelihood of success. In fact, if I spent one day observing your priorities, behaviors, and interactions with people, then, with about 90% accuracy, I could let you know your leadership potential. Why would I be so certain in my judgment? Because I've learned that the secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.

 

OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS -- DAY #1: JOHN MAXWELL ON THE OFF-SEASON PROCESS FOR LEADERS

OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS -- DAY #1: During this 10-day period, we are going to load up our blog on thoughts that are relevant to developing or improving your off-season program.  We will delve on off-season topics from player development and drill work to motivation and team building.  It will be our sincere wish that over the next 10 days we can provide you with at least one item or thought that will help you and your program.

This actually a article we posted back in 2001. This off-season post doesn't have to be just about our student-athletes but us as coaches as well.  The off-season is a renewal -- about a new beginning.  A great post from John Maxwell on some thoughts for developing during the off-season. How well did you approach your off-season?  Did you have a plan of attack?  In all actuality, we need to come up with another term instead of "off-season."  Because thought we aren't actively involved with our teams per rules and guidelines, we are always (or should be) working to develop ourselves and our organizations.  Here is what John has to say about "off-seasons":

Leaders are revealed during the busy seasons, but they are made during the offseason. Work done for months behind-the-scenes determines what happens onstage the night of the show. Here are five ways leaders, and the teams they lead, can make the most of the offseason.

Develop Stamina
During the offseason, leaders develop stamina through a mixture of rest and training. Recognizing that they’re ineffective when worn out, leaders prioritize rest during the offseason to replenish energy reserves. However, leaders must also condition themselves to be ready for the rigors of the upcoming season. Much as a runner would be foolish to show up for a marathon without having trained, leaders cannot remain idle throughout the offseason and expect to be at their peak when the season arrives.

Revisit Vision
The offseason is an opportune time for leaders to revisit vision and values, and to make sure their team is focused on what matters most. Once they’ve gained personal clarity, leaders then can help their team generate its goals for the future. Keeping a vision in front of a team, and giving it goals to reach for, brings much-needed purpose and motivation to offseason activities.

Build Team Unity
During the offseason, teams face less stress than at other times of the year, and they do not have as many critical tasks to accomplish. This makes the offseason a prime occasion for investing in relationships. When teammates connect meaningfully during the offseason, they form bonds that can sustain team unity during the pressure-cooker of busy seasons.

Pursue Personal Growth
The frenetic pace of life’s busy seasons crowd out time for personal growth. Conversely, during the offseason leaders find themselves with plenty of room to breathe. Wise leaders make productive use of their extra time by attending training seminars, studying industry experts, and reading up on cutting-edge strategies. Those leaders who develop their skills and enhance their knowledge during the offseason have an advantage over the competition once the season starts.

Rehearse
Much as a music band must rehearse before going on a concert tour, a team must practice together in the offseason to prepare itself for future projects. Championship teams spend the offseason shoring up their strengths and working out the kinks in their systems. They conduct trial runs and pilot programs to test new ideas and fine-tune their processes. The practice that a team puts in over the course of the offseason improves its performance, and instills confidence for the upcoming season.

Be sure to visit: www.JohnMaxwell.com

OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS - DAY 1: TODAY MATTERS

OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS -- DAY #1: During this 10-day period, we are going to load up our blog on thoughts that are relevant to developing or improving your off-season program.  We will delve on off-season topics from player development and drill work to motivation and team building.  It will be our sincere wish that over the next 10 days we can provide you with at least one item or thought that will help you and your program.

We are firm believers that programs of excellence are that because they strive for excellence each day in all areas at all times.  They're aren't just interested in putting forth great effort the day before a conference game in February.  Concentrated commitment goes beyond a practice session in November.  It's about being the best you can be every day. 

There is an old Bob Knight video that was sponsored by Adidas where Coach Knight said that when the ball is tossed up all players want to win.  But the one's that will be successful are the one's that want to win the day before, two days before and three days before "because the will to win is not nearly as important as the will to PREPARE to win."  Today, I think it can be paraphrased one month before you play and two months and three months.

Coach Don Meyer referred to it often as Arete - a Greek word meaning "the act of living up to one's potential."  In the programs that I have worked with the past 10 years, the phrase we've used, borrowed from a John Maxwell book, is "Today Matters." Our thought is that we must have the mindset that each and every day is critically important to the overall goal of being the best we can be. 

In fact, "Today Matters" is the name of our summer workbook that we give to our team each year.  The book includes a page for each day of the off-season with a quote about the importance of daily commitment.  It also has a suggested workout for them on the basketball court as well as in strength training and conditioning.  The workout suggestions are geared individually to meet the needs of each player.

Here is the first page of our "Today Matters" off-season book:

Improvement, consistent improvement, is done on a day-by-day basis. To improve anything in your life, you must work at it in some form each day. For our basketball team, we are looking for student-athletes that are committed to improving. We desire to have a team that will leave a legacy of leaving the program better than when they arrived — this is consistent and constant improving. Improving is not a result-oriented program. It is a process–related experience. It is why so many fail to improve at a rate that they are capable. Working in the gym for two hours on a Sunday night by yourself doesn’t give you immediate results. There is no scoreboard to keep count of your made

baskets. No crowd to cheer on your good play. No coach to oversee your dedicated effort. But those that pay the price — working daily on their game, out of the sight of many — are

the ones that reach their potential.

If you have not accomplished what you desire than you can be sure that you are not working hard enough:

“If you want something you have never had,

you must do something you have never done."

 

And don’t sell yourself short — you can be great! Just remember:

“Good enough never is!”